Harry Potter Reading Challenge

August 1, 2009 - July 31, 2010

Michelle from Galley Smith is hosting the Harry Potter Reading Challenge. She writes:

What: Read or listen to all seven books in the Harry Potter series

• Sorcerer’s Stone
• Chamber of Secrets
• Prisoner of Azkaban
• Goblet of Fire
• Order of the Pheonix
• Half-Blood Prince
• Deathly Hallows

When: The challenge will run from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010. I know we’re all busy with life and work and other such fun things so join up whenever you want, there are no deadlines to the challenge besides the end date above.

Where: E-to the Everywhere! Post reviews on your blog, chat about it on messageboards, post vlogs or podcasts, comment on and converse about it in the monthly post I create here on Galleysmith. It’s entirely up to you, as long as there is some evidence of your having completed each book along the way you are good to go.

How: Get thee to Mr. Linky (on the post about the challenge). Sign up to join in and play, cause you know….Harry would want you to and all!

AND

I have one more thing you might want to hear about….

Party Gifts!!

I mean come on….what is a party like without gifts? So, over the course of the year there will be giveaways y’all. All things Harry Potter are game so keep an eye out to see what’s happening as we’re truckin’ along.

Since I want to start this party off in style I’m going to give away two Harry Potter box sets (one paperback and one hardcover)!

All you need to do is sign up to participate in the challenge by August 15th and I’ll draw two lucky winners at random to receive all seven books! How’s that for incentive right?

Sign up and learn more on the post about the challenge.

I Dare You to Accept This Challenge

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limits

Irish from Ticket to Anywhere and Alea from Pop Culture Junkie are sponsoring a unique challenge. The I Dare YOU to Accept This Challenge is all about daring your friends to a challenge.

Maybe your best friend only reads romances or maybe all he watches is sports. You think that she/he needs to branch out, but what can you do? Well, what did you do when you were younger? You dared people to do things that they might not normally do. So, why not dare your friend to read your 10 favorite books by Stephen King? Or maybe your 10 favorite episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Or perhaps your 10 favorite Bollywood films? Or what ever else comes to mind.

Here are the rules of the this challenge:

1. Snag the snazzy I Dare You to Accept This Challenge Logo and create your dare using the following format:

_________ I dare you to accept this challenge. I dare you to complete at least 5 of the 10 items on the list below (though I triple dog dare you to tackle them all!)

(your list goes here)

This challenge must be completed in: (6 days?, 6 months?, 6 years? its up to you!)

If you fail in this challenge you must __________________

But if you succeed then I will ______________________

If you choose to accept this dare you must follow these rules:

• Blog about your acceptance and log in with Mr Linky on the correct Acceptance Post here.
• Blog about your thoughts after completing each item. When you've completed the challenge check in with Mr Linky on the correct Completed Challenge Post on the I Dare You to Accept This Challenge Blog!
• Once you accept (or complete) this challenge then make a list of 10 related items (ie all Bollywood movies, your favorite tv show or book series, favorite genre of books etc) and challenge one of your friends...even the one who challenged you!
• Need help deciding on a dare? Check out what others are doing here.

Learn more by visiting the dedicated blog for the challenge.

Random Reading Challenge

August 1, 2009 - July 31, 2010

I am hosting The Random Reading Challenge at Caribousmom beginning in August. There will be three levels of participation to choose from - but the ultimate goal is to RANDOMLY choose books from either your physical or virtual TBR piles.

Rules (come on, you didn’t think I would be THAT random did you?!?!?):

1. NO lists allowed. Books for the challenge are chosen one at a time when the mood strikes.
2. Sign up at any time during the challenge period using Mr. Linky at the post about the challenge.
   
3. Book reviews are not required, but if you want to write a review I will be providing a review Mr. Linky after August 1st.
4. Books are selected one at a time using the following procedure:

• Randomly select any number of books from either your physical OR your virtual TBR pile (I don’t care how you do this, but it must be random…no “cherry picking” allowed)
• Assign a number to each book based on how many books you selected (ie: if you selected 14 books, assign each book a number from 1 through 14; if you selected 28 books, assign each book a number from 1 through 28…you get the idea)
• Go to THIS SITE and use the TRUE RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR located in the upper right hand corner of the page to randomly select the book you will read. NO CHEATING – whatever the random number generator generates is the book you must read!
• Each time you select a book for the challenge, you will use this procedure. You many select different books each time, choose a different amount of books each time, etc…have fun, mix it up, keep it random.

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

A Well Rounded Challenge 2009

August 1, 2009-December 31, 2009

(Last year Jan of Jottings from Jan hosted this challenge. I (Teddy) agreed to host it this year.)

The goal of A Well Rounded Challenge is to help us finish some of the book challenges that we are participating in.

Here's how it works:

There are 5 months left for the year, so we will read a total of 5 books, each one for a different challenge. If you are not in 5 different challenges then read at least one book for each challenge that you are in.

*Any combination of challenges works and you can change them at any time.
*You must be signed up with the other challenges.
*You may listen to eAudio, cassette tapes or compact discs.
*You may not read all five books from the same challenge.
*You don't have to blog or write a review (but you can if you want to). Please use Mr. Linky to link to your reviews.
*Even if a challenge begins after August 1st you may use it for this challenge.
*Even if a challenge ends after 12/31/09 you may use it for this challenge.
*Sign-ups begin now and run through 9/1/2009. Please use Mr. Linky to sign up for this challenge.
*Have Fun!

To find out more or to sign up for this challenge, go here.

Diversity Rocks! Challenge

July 14 - August 30, 2009

Susan at Black Eyed Susan is hosting the Diversity Rocks! Challenge. She writes:

Imagine what it must feel like to be invisible. Imagine a world where a child still prefers a doll that looks nothing like her. Imagine the impact of being judged by a standard that doesn’t reflect who you are. You want to know what this has to do with books, plenty. In books, we imagine who we can be; we look for the good in us in books. We look for inspiration. Does the main character always have to look like us, no, but what is the impact when the norm is you are not represented? And what about the impact on the reader who never sees others as the lead? What message are we sending to this reader?

I’m making a 30-day challenge here. From now until August 30th, how many multicultural books will you read and review on your blog? Don't know what to read or how to make this a success? Join us for CORA Diversity Roll Call and check out books reviewed for the Diversity Rocks! Challenge.

Visit the post about the challenge to learn more and to join.

Summer Reading Challenge 2009

June 21 - September 21, 2009

I just found out about this challenge so I apologize for the late post. A Southern Daydreamer Reads is hosting the Summer Reading Challenge 2009 where readers choose books (and list them) to read for the summer.

The rules:

1. Make a list of books you want to read this summer.
2. Write a post with your list on your blog. (You can add to or change this list at any time during the challenge)
3. Please post the direct link to your Summer Reading Challenge 2009 post. (so that other participants can visit and see what you are reading)
4. You can write another post in September to let everyone know how you did.

That's it...to sign up and learn more, visit the post about the challenge.

August Reading Challenge

August 1 - August 31, 2009

Pizza's Book Discussion is hosting an August Reading Challenge. It's simple...read as many books as you can in August!

To sign up and read more details, visit the post about the challenge.

Popular Penguins Reading Challenge

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit

Susan and Meridith from Reading Upside Down are hosting a perpetual challenge. The Popular Penguins Reading Challenge encourages readers to read the 99 books Penguin has identified on their popular Penguins list.

Susan writes:

This will be a perpetual challenge, since it is not even within the realms of possibility that I would work my way through this list in the near future. I’d love for you to join me on this reading odyssey. You can count any titles that you have already read.

She provides a list of the books on the post about the challenge. Go there to learn more and to sign up.

50 Books for Our Times Project

Now - December 31, 2009

My Friend Amy is hosting this challenge basted on Newsweek's list : 50 Books for Our Times

Here's how she describes it:

Newsweek came up with 50 Books for our Times. I jokingly asked on Twitter when a book blogger would come up with a challenge for the list not realizing that an hour later it would be me!

This list is...strange. And some of these books seem really overwhelming. So I suggested on Twitter that we get 50 book bloggers to read one each and report back if it's a book of our times.

If you want in, to cast your authoritative opinion as a book blogger whether or not one of these 50 books is a Book for our Times, pick a book off the list that hasn't already been chosen and leave a comment with your pick.

If all 50 books get spoken for, we can start having two reviewers per book. Until then, you must pick a book that hasn't been chosen (that you also haven't read) so we can get a perspective on all of the books!

To find out more or to join, go to Newsweek, You're On! The Fifty Books For Our Times Reading Project

Reliquiae Challenge

July 15, 2009 - January 15, 2010

Anna (from Miss Picky's Column) and Alex (from Le Canape) are hosting the Reliquiae Challenge...witches, vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, fairies and elves are the subject matter from which you will read!

They write:

We’ve been roaming for quite some time in a world owned by vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches and all sorts of fantastical beings, and the inevitable has happened, we’ve been bitten. We can’t seem to stop ourselves trying out new authors, drooling over gorgeous covers, adding series to our wish lists and watching out for new releases. It’s almost like a disease, though it only gets worse!

So setting out to find if there are any ailing souls like us out there we’ve decided to host a new challenge, and thus Reliquiae was born. Please come join us on this journey, grab your sunglasses, don’t forget your broom and spell book, be sure to pack some nourishment and you can even bring your black cat along. But beware, you’re not coming back!

You can choose from four different participation levels.

To learn more and sign up, visit the dedicated blog and use Mr. Linky!

Canadian Book Challenge III

July 1, 2009 - July 1, 2010

From Canada Day to Canada Day, can you read and review at least 13 Canadian books? John at The Book Mine Set is hosting part 3 of the Canadian Book Challenge. John writes:

Pick fiction, pick nonfiction, pick poetry, graphic novels, picture books, plays, etc-- if it's Canadian and if it's a book, it's in.

AND

Pick authors and books at random or theme your challenge should you be so inclined. I like to pick at least one book from each province and territory (it's where the magic number 13 came from), but some themes from other participants in the past have included a single author approach (ex. just Lucy Maud Montgomery or Robert Munsch books), a single province approach (ex. British Columbia or Quebec), a single gender (ex. wait, do you need an example for this, really?), and an ABM approach (i.e., just autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs). Of course, you could decide on an entirely different theme, or no theme at all. You do not have to decide ahead of time what books to read, but do so if it helps.

There are some guidelines posted in the post about the challenge...to learn more, go there. To sign up, email John (details on the post about the challenge).